May Death Do Us Part

242 Chapter 242 : Is it Jacob?

The elven king looked at the empty seat to his left and then then threw his gaze back at his wife.

“Will she not be joining us for breakfast?” He asked his wife who sipping her tea slowly. “Is she still upset with me?”

Melissa put down her cup and gave her husband a nervous smile. “I’m sure she will be out whenever she feels better my love. Eira is a little emotional even if she puts up a stubborn and uncaring front. Give her time.”

The truth was that Melissa was the one getting worried now. Last night she wasn’t so concerned because she had heard that it was somewhat normal for young ladies her age to rebel and once in a while sneak out to go to parties or meet boys, but now it was morning and she expected Eira of all people to be back by now. Rebellious as she may be, she was still responsible, so this situation was making the nosferatu Queen worry something had happened to her daughter.

Gareth put down his fork and stood up, “I really should go check on her. If she really is still angry with me I should set things right with Eira, I don’t want us drifting apart because of one ridiculous argument.”

“Honey wait!-”

Just as Melissa was about to push her chair backwards and rush to stop her husband, the two large double doors of the dining area opened and the guard let in the young red haired princess.

“Eira!” Both Melissa and Gareth gasped in unison.

Eira walked to the table and curtsied to her parents before taking her usual seat, right on her father’s left hand. “Father.. mother.. good morning.”

.....

A maids rushed to her side and poured her a cup of tea while another put some food on her plate.

“Good morning Eira, uuh how are you feeling today?”

The princess sipped her tea and gave her father a smile, “I’m quite alright father.” Eira wondered if maybe her father had noticed that she had not been home all night? But again his cool demeanor said something different, if he had known he would have been biting her head off right now.

“You were in bed all evening so I was worried you were still upset about our spout earlier.”

Eira sighed internally in relief, thank goodness he just thought she was asleep.

“I want you to know that I’m only hard on you because I care about you and I don’t want anything bad happening to you,” Gareth explained to his little princess.

Eira put down her cup of tea and looked up at her father. “If you don’t mind me asking father, and excuse me if I come off as presumptuous, but I don’t see the need. I mean you say you’re trying to protect me but what exactly are you protecting me from? If anything, I feel more trapped than protected.”

Gareth arched his eyebrows slightly but kept his face straight so as not to show his surprise. His daughter had never spoken to him so firmly before, she really wasn’t his little girl any longer was she?

The elven king cleared his throat and leaned forward, his elbows on the table and his hands clasped together under his chin, it was high time he started talking to Eira like the adult she was becoming, treating her like a little girl may only push her away just like Melissa had said.

“Eira I know you understand how monarchs work, being a princess you should know that our family is born into power rather than earning it. It is up to us to prove to the people that even if we did not necessarily earn the title of ruler, we are capable enough to be the best we can be.”

The princess listened to her father carefully as he spoke, usually he would brush off conversations like this and tell her she would understand when she was older, but now he was actually explaining something to her. It was definitely a turn in the right direction.

“Sometimes people are pleased with our rule, they support us, and even respect us,” Gareth continued. “But sometimes there are people who are not happy with our rule, no matter how good of a leader you are, there will always be those who don’t like you and even some who hate you.”

Eira knitted her sleek eyebrows together, “why would they hate you?”

“Different reasons can be given,” Gareth explained, “sometimes it may be political, personal, and many others. Maybe they don’t like how you manage things, maybe they wanted a position in the ranks but were denied of it, and sometimes they are bitter about some personal issues that transpired in the past.”

Eira narrowed her eyes slightly, that last reason was rather oddly specific. Had something happened between her father and someone in the past and that’s why he was so paranoid all the time?

“So you see,” Gareth gently pat his daughter’s shoulders, “those people who dislike me may want to harm my family, and I would never forgive myself if that happened. I don’t want you to feel trapped Eira, I just want you to be safe. Do you now understand?”

What Eira had gotten from the conversation made her have even more questions. “Father, is there someone you offended a while back who you fear may harm me?”

Gareth pulled his hand away from his daughter slowly and turned to his wife as if asking for some help in answering Eira’s question. Of course Melissa was glad to jump in, a time would come when they would tell Eira about Elric and the unspoken rivalry that had sparked between them them and lycans, but this was not it.

“As king your father may have stepped on some people’s toes even without realizing honey,” Melissa responded on her husband’s behalf. “And those are the people we have to be careful about because we may never know what they’re planning.”

Eira knew when her mother was not telling the whole truth, she always pursed her lips when she lied. What were they keeping from her? And why were they keeping it away? Was it that bad that they couldn’t share it with her? The princess took one last sip of her tea before standing up and giving her parents a smile.

“I see,” she muttered, “well I should go about my day then, thank you for telling me all of this. I understand things a little better now.”

Melissa watched her daughter walk away and finished off her own breakfast. She stood up and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. “Let me go check on the garden my love, I’ll see you at lunch if you get the time.”

The queen quickly walked out of the dining area, down the hallway towards Eira’s room. Without knocking, she pushed open her door and found the princess putting a shawl over her head and shoulders.

“Going somewhere sweet heart?”

“Mother...” Eira gave her mother a nervous smile. “Not exactly, I was just thinking of going to see Janis today.”

“Is that so?” The red haired queen walked passed her daughter and took a seat on the edge of her bed, her arms and legs crossed and her eyes never leaving Eira’s face. “Did you have a good time last night? You must have, considered you decided to spend the night outside your own home.”

Eira gulped and averted her mother’s gaze, so she had known all along that Eira had not come home? Why did she not tell her father about it then?

“Eira are you seeing someone? Is there a man making you sleep out? Is it Jacob?”

The princess’ face immediately flashed all shades of red at her mother’s statement. “What?! Mother!... Of course not, that’s outrageous!”

Melissa sighed before leaning back on her palms and studying her daughter, she too pursed her lips whenever she was not honest, and that had told Melissa everything she needed to know.

“There is nothing wrong with having feelings for a man Eira, you’re sixteen years old,” the woman spoke in a calm yet affirmative tone, “in fact having a suitor right now would benefit the kingdom, the council has already started hinting at your father about the princess getting married anyway. But regardless of this, you’re still living under your father’s roof until this ‘suitor’ formally introduces himself and takes your hand, you can’t just run off with him in the middle of the night, it’s very disrespectful towards your father and I.”

Eira just stood there at loss for words, she didn’t know what to say in response to her mother. She had indeed spent a night in a man’s bed but not in the way her mother thought. Also, Eira feared the truth might get her into more trouble than she was already in, there was only one thing left to do.

“I understand mother, I’m sorry for leaving without telling you first,” the woman mumbled, “and also, thank you for not telling father. I guess I was a little spiteful after the whole ordeal with father and it made me make some decisions I’m not proud of, forgive me.”

Melisaa sighed and gave her daughter a warm smile, “that’s alright sweetheart, but please know that whatever is going on you can talk to me alright? No matter how mundane or small something may seem. More so if it’s something big, please come to me.”

Eira smiled and nodded at her mother. “I promise that I will do that from now on.”

“So tell me.. is it Jacob? Are the two of you together?” Melissa asked with a smirk, “you can tell me..”

“Gods mother please stop!” Eira squealed in embarrassment.